ANDY MORRISON admits it was tough to take after his Connah's Quay Nomads outfit had nothing to show for their efforts in the Cymru Premier top of the table showdown.

Welsh champions Nomads suffered a 1-0 defeat against The New Saints at Park Hall but the result doesn't paint the whole picture.

Morrison's depleted side dominated for large spells and created a host of chances but last season's runners-up scored the only goal in the 41st minute through Louis Robles to inflict a first defeat of the campaign on Nomads.

Although his side performed well, Morrison knows it is the result that counts as Saints, who maintained their 100 per cent record, took over as leaders.

"It is a tough one to take," said Morrison.

"You've seen who the champions of Wales are because we have absolutely pummelled them.

"We were fitter, more organised and we asked more questions of them; the stats that we have and the GPS will show that we ran all over them.

"The papers will show the result - 1-0 - and that happens too often here for me because you can't keep doing that.

"You can't keep getting it right time and time again, and then coming away with the result going against you.

"What I take from it is I know I can go toe to toe with them."

Morrison, without the likes of captain George Horan, and strikers Jamie Insall and Michael Wilde, heaped praise on his players.

"I know I have got the personnel, I know I have got the legs, even though three lads have done a 10 hour shift who started the game and we finished training at 9.30 on Monday," said Morrison.

"People talk about us being full-time, we are far from full-time.

"When we get to full-time and every single member of our paying staff is full-time, then I think the little moments in that final third when the weight of pass, the decision making, allowing the player to get close to you before you release the ball to give the next player more time, I think that improves.

"It is hard one to take."

Morrison, who saw a run of six successive league wins come to an end against their title rivals, takes heart from the performance.

"What we can't do now is allow that to affect us," added Morrison

"I said to the players, we have got George Horan, Danny Holmes, Jamie Insall, Mike Wilde and Brayden Shaw to come back in to this group, and we can go and do that to Park Hall.

"What does that say about the power and strength of this squad for the rest of the season.

"We have got to keep winning games of football and when we play them next time, we have got to play exactly the same, dominate the game and take our chances."